Bag Clamping and Sealing Machine

ABSTRACT

A bag clamping and sealing machine includes a first top bar, a second top bar, a first bottom bar and a second bottom bar movable along a horizontal X-axis. A first top board, a second top board, a first bottom board and a second bottom board movable along a horizontal Y-axis which is perpendicular to the horizontal X-axis. The first top bar and the second top bar, and the first bottom bar and the second bottom bar move toward each other to clamp a bag opening of a bag to be a flattened portion. The first top board and the second top board, and the first bottom board and the second bottom board move toward each other to narrow the flattened portion to be an elongate portion. A robotic arm firmly clamps the elongate portion between a C-clip and an I-bar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bag clamping and sealing machine.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

Taiwanese Utility Model No. M626319 discloses a retaining device forbags, and the retaining device is installed to the inlet of a feeder ofa filling station from which particles (for example) are poured into thebag. After the bag is filled with the bag is filled with the desiredamount of the particles, the retaining device expands the opening of thebag from a round cross section into a narrow and flat cross section, andthe opening is in upright status which is conveniently for a robotic armto clamp and transfer the bag from the filling station to a sealingstation.

The sealing processes use the C-clip and the I-bar disclosed inTaiwanese Utility Model No. M603434, Taiwanese Patent No. 1745004, andTaiwanese Utility Model No. M612595. The mechanical part such as arobotic arm that moves linearly and catches the C-clip and the I-bar,and manipulates the -clip and the I-bar to move toward each other. Whenthe bag opening is narrowed and located within the C-clip, the two legsof the C-clip extend through the two holes of the I-bar. The mechanicalpart continuously manipulates the -clip and the I-bar to move towardeach other until the bag opening is completely closed and sealed. The-clip and the I-bar keep the bag opening to be sealed.

When the users need to access the particles in the bag, the C-clip andthe I-bar are then cut by using a pair of scissors to open the bag.

The present invention intends to provide a bag clamping and sealingmachine to make the C-clip and the I-bar to successfully tighten thebag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bag clamping and sealing machine andcomprises a first top bar, a second top bar, a first bottom bar and asecond bottom bar movable along a horizontal X-axis. A first top board,a second top board, a first bottom board and a second bottom boardmovable along a horizontal Y-axis. The horizontal Y-axis isperpendicular to the horizontal X-axis on a common horizontal plane. Thefirst top bar and the second top bar, and the first bottom bar and thesecond bottom bar move toward each other to clamp a bag opening of a bagto be a flattened portion. The first top board and the second top board,and the first bottom board and the second bottom board move toward eachother to narrow the flattened portion to be an elongate portion. Arobotic arm drives a C-clip and an I-bar, and firmly clamps the elongateportion between the C-clip and the I-bar to complete the sealing processof the bag.

The advantages of the present invention are that the bag opening isnarrowed to be an elongate portion before it is clamped by the C-clipand the I-bar, and the elongate portion is easily clamped by the C-clipand the I-bar.

The bag is filled, clamped and narrowed at the filing station, and thebag is then moved to the sealing station to be sealed by the C-clip andthe I-bar.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the bag clamping and sealingmachine of the present invention, wherein the bars and the boards arelocated away from each other;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the disclosure in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view to show the bag clamping and sealingmachine of the present invention, wherein the bars and the boards aremoved toward other;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the disclosure in FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 shows that the bag is to be clamped;

FIG. 6 shows that the bag is clamped by the top and bottom bars;

FIG. 7 shows that the bag is narrowed by the top and bottom boards;

FIG. 8 shows the front view of the machine of the present invention andthe bag is clamped;

FIG. 9 shows the front view of the machine of the present invention andthe bag is narrowed;

FIG. 10 shows the side view of the machine of the present invention andthe two retainers are moved toward the bag to mount the bag to thefeeder;

FIG. 11 shows that the two retainer is removed from the bag;

FIG. 12 shows that the bag is moved from the filling station to thesealing station;

FIG. 13 shows that a robotic arm manipulates a C-clip and an I-bar;

FIG. 14 shows that the robotic manipulates the C-clip and the I-bar toseal the bag, and

FIG. 15 shows that the bag is sealed by engaging the C-clip with theI-bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In order to facilitate the description of the central idea of thepresent invention expressed in the content of the invention, specificembodiments are hereby expressed. Various elements in the embodimentsare drawn according to proportions, sizes, deformations or displacementssuitable for description, rather than the proportions of actualelements. In the following description, identical and symmetricallyarranged elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.Directional terminology is used in the following description, which isexpressed according to the view direction and should not be construed asa limitation of the present creation. The terms “first”, “second” . . .are used only to describe elements and should not be construed toindicate or imply relative importance or order.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the bag clamping and sealing machine of thepresent invention comprises a base 10 which is formed by multipleframes. A first top frame 11 of one of the frames mentioned aboveincludes a catch portion 15, such that a robotic arm (not shown) is ableto catch the catch portion 15 to move the base 10.

A first clamp device 200 includes a first top bar 21 and a second topbar 22, a first top driving device 23 and a second top driving device24.

The first top driving device 23 and the second top driving device 24 arerespectively connected to a second top frame 12 and a third top frame 13which is located corresponding to the second top frame 12. The first topdriving device 23 and the second top driving device 24 respectivelydrive the first top bar 21 and the second top bar 22 to move along ahorizontal X-axis “Dx” to move toward each other or to move away fromeach other.

A second clamp device 250 includes a first bottom bar 25 and a secondbottom bar 26, a first bottom driving device 27 and a second bottomdriving device 28.

The first bottom driving device 27 and the second bottom driving device28 are respectively connected to a first bottom frame 16 and a secondbottom frame 17 which is located corresponding to the first bottom frame16. The first bottom driving device 27 and the second bottom drivingdevice 28 respectively drive the first bottom bar 25 and the secondbottom bar 26 to move along the horizontal X-axis “Dx” to move towardeach other or to move away from each other.

The first top driving device 23, the second top driving device 24, thefirst bottom driving device 27 and the second bottom driving device 28can be a pneumatic cylinder with guide rods as shown in the drawings.

A narrowing device 30 includes a first board set 31, a second board set32, a first driving unit 33 and a second driving unit 34. The narrowingdevice 30 is connected to a movable frame 14 of the base 10 and locatedbetween the first clamp device 200 and the second clamp device 250.

The first board set 31 includes a first top board 311 and a second topboard 312 which is parallel to the first top board 311. The first topboard 311 is located higher than the second top board 312. The first topboard 311 includes a first top notch 313, and the second top board 312includes a second top notch 314 which faces the first top notch 313.

The second board set 32 includes a first bottom board 321 and a secondbottom board 322 which is parallel to the first bottom board 321. Thefirst bottom board 321 is located higher than the second bottom board322. The first bottom board 321 includes a first bottom notch 323, andthe second bottom board 322 includes a second bottom notch 324 whichfaces the first bottom notch 323. The first board set 31 is locatedabove the second board set 32 by a distance “d1”.

The first driving unit 33 and the second driving unit 34 respectivelydrive the first top board 311 and the second top board 312, and thefirst bottom board 321 and the second bottom board 322 to move towardeach other or away from each other along a horizontal Y-axis “Dy”. Thehorizontal X-axis “Dx” is perpendicular to the horizontal Y-axis “Dy” ona common horizontal plane. The first top board 311 is overlapped abovethe second top board 312 when the first top board 311 and the second topboard 312 move toward each other. The first bottom board 321 isoverlapped above the second bottom board 322 when the first bottom board321 and the second bottom board 322 move toward each other. Therefore,the first and second top notches 313, 314 are overlapped to the firstand second bottom notches 323, 324 along a vertical Z-axis “Dz”.

The first driving unit 33 and the second driving unit 34 can be amagnetic non-rod pneumatic cylinder as shown in the drawings, apneumatic cylinder with guide rods or the like.

A displacement device 40 includes at least one guide device 41 which isconnected to the base 10. The displacement device 40 drives the movableframe 14 of the narrowing device 30 to move back and forth along thehorizontal X-axis “Dx”. The displacement device 40 can be threepneumatic cylinders with guide rods as shown or the like. In thisembodiment, the displacement device 40 includes three guide devices 41which are three pneumatic cylinders with guide rods.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, 8-11 and 12 , the robotic arm catches thecatch portion 15 of the base 10 to move the base 10 back and forthbetween a filling station “S1” (FIG. 12 ) and a sealing station “S2”(FIG. 12 ).

The bag 1 is filled with material such as particles or powders at thefilling station “S1”, an automatic bagging machine stretches the bagopening 2 and the bag body 3 of the bag 1 upward, and mounts the bagopening 2 to the exterior of the feeder 4. Two retainers 6 secure thebag opening 2 to the feeder 4. Air is introduced into the bag 1 to openthe bag body 3 and the bag opening 3 wide, and the material such asparticles or powders are filled into the bag body 3.

After the bag 1 is filled, the robotic arm (not shown) drives the base10 from the filling station “S1” to the sealing station “S2”. The firstop bar 21 and the second top bar 22 of the first clamp device 200 moveaway from each other, and the first bottom bar 25 and the second bottombar 26 of the second clamp device 250 move away from each other, so thatthe bag opening 2 of the bag 1 is located between the first op bar 21and the second top bar 22 of the first clamp device 200, and the firstbottom bar 25 and the second bottom bar 26 of the second clamp device250.

The first and second top driving devices 23, 24 respective drive thefirst op bar 21 and the second top bar 22 to clamp the upper portion ofthe bag opening 2. The first bottom driving device 27 and the secondbottom driving device 28 drive the first bottom bar 25 and the secondbottom bar 26 move toward each other to clamp the lower portion of thebag opening 2 of the bag 1. The retainers 6 are moved away from the bagopening 2, so that a portion of the bag opening 2 clamped by the firstand second clamp devices 200, 250 is squeezed to be a flattened portion8.

Then the displacement device 40 is activated to move the narrowingdevice 30 toward the bag opening 2, while the first top board 311 andthe second top board 312, and the first bottom board 321 and the secondbottom board 322 are located away from each other, so that the flattenedportion 8 enters into the narrowing device 30.

The first and second driving units 33, 34 respectively drive the firsttop board 311 and the second top board 312 to move toward each other,and the first bottom board 321 and the second bottom board 322 movetoward each other. The flattened portion 8 is axially narrowed to be anelongate portion 7 by the first and second top notches 313, 314, and thefirst and second bottom notches 323, 324.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the robotic arm (not shown) moves the base 10 fromthe filling station “S1” to the sealing station “S2”.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 , a second robotic arm “M2” manipulates theC-clip 100 and the I-bar 101 to a position between the first and secondboard sets 31, 32. The C-clip 100 is aimed to the elongate portion 7 ofthe bag opening 2, and the second robotic arm “M2” inserts two legs ofthe C-clip 100 into the hole of the I-bar 101, so that the elongateportion 7 is tightly sealed between the C-clip 100 and the I-bar 101,and the bag opening 2 is completely closed and sealed.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bag clamping and sealing machine comprising: abase (10); a first clamp device (200) including a first top bar (21) anda second top bar (22), a first top driving device (23) and a second topdriving device (24), the first top driving device (23) and the secondtop driving device (24) respectively connected to the base (10) andrespectively driving the first top bar (21) and the second top bar (22)to move along a horizontal X-axis (Dx) to move toward each other or tomove away from each other; a second clamp device (250) including a firstbottom bar (25) and a second bottom bar (26), a first bottom drivingdevice (27) and a second bottom driving device (28), the first bottomdriving device (27) and the second bottom driving device (28)respectively connected to the base (10) and located below the firstclamp device (200), the first clamp device (200) located away from thesecond clamp device (250), the first bottom driving device (27) and thesecond bottom driving device (28) respectively driving the first bottombar (25) and the second bottom bar (26) to move along the horizontalX-axis (Dx) to move toward each other or to move away from each other; anarrowing device (30) connected to the base (10) and located between thefirst clamp device (200) and the second clamp device (250), thenarrowing device (30) including a first board set (31), a second boardset (32), a first driving unit (33) and a second driving unit (34), thefirst board set (31) including a first top board (311) and a second topboard (312), the second board set (32) including a first bottom board(321) and a second bottom board (322), the first top board (311)including a first top notch (313), the second top board (312) includinga second top notch (314) which faces the first top notch (313), thefirst bottom board (321) including a first bottom notch (323), thesecond bottom board (322) including a second bottom notch (324) whichfaces the first bottom notch (323), the first board set (31) locatedabove the second board set (32) by a distance (d1), the first drivingunit (33) and the second driving unit (34) respectively driving thefirst top board (311), the second top board (312), the first bottomboard (321) and the second bottom board (322) to move toward each otheror away from each other along a horizontal Y-axis (Dy), the horizontalX-axis (Dx) being perpendicular to the horizontal Y-axis (Dy) on acommon horizontal plane; a displacement device (40) connected to thebase (10) and driving the narrowing device (30) to move along thehorizontal X-axis (Dx) of the base (10); wherein a bag opening (2) of abag (1) is squeezed to be a flattened portion (8) when the first top bar(21), the second top bar (22), the first bottom bar (25) and the secondbottom bar (26) move toward each other; the flattened portion (8) isaxially narrowed to be an elongate portion (7) when the first top notch(313), the second top notch (314), the first bottom notch (323) and thesecond bottom notch (324) move toward each other.
 2. The bag clampingand sealing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first top board(311) is located higher than the second top board (312), the firstbottom board (321) is located higher than the second bottom board (322),so that the first top board (311) is overlapped above the second topboard (312) when the first top board (311) and the second top board(312) move toward each other, the first bottom board (321) is overlappedabove the second bottom board (322) when the first bottom board (321)and the second bottom board (322) move toward each other.
 3. A bagclamping and sealing machine comprising: a base (10); a first clampdevice (200) including a first top bar (21) and a second top bar (22), afirst top driving device (23) and a second top driving device (24), thefirst top driving device (23) and the second top driving device (24)respectively connected to the base (10) and respectively driving thefirst top bar (21) and the second top bar (22) to move along ahorizontal X-axis (Dx) to move toward each other or to move away fromeach other; a narrowing device (30) connected to the base (10) andlocated below the first clamp device (200), the narrowing device (30)including a first board set (31), a second board set (32), a firstdriving unit (33) and a second driving unit (34), the first board set(31) including a first top board (311) and a second top board (312), thesecond board set (32) including a first bottom board (321) and a secondbottom board (322), the first top board (311) including a first topnotch (313), the second top board (312) including a second top notch(314) which faces the first top notch (313), the first bottom board(321) including a first bottom notch (323), the second bottom board(322) including a second bottom notch (324) which faces the first bottomnotch (323), the first board set (31) located above the second board set(32) by a distance (d1), the first driving unit (33) and the seconddriving unit (34) respectively driving the first top board (311, thesecond top board (312), the first bottom board (321) and the secondbottom board (322) to move toward each other or away from each otheralong a horizontal Y-axis (Dy), the horizontal X-axis (Dx) beingperpendicular to the horizontal Y-axis (Dy) on a common horizontalplane; a displacement device (40) connected to the base (10) and drivingthe narrowing device (30) to move reciprocally along the horizontalX-axis (Dx) of the base (10); wherein a bag opening (2) of a bag (1) isclamped when the first top bar (21) and the second top bar (22) movetoward each other, a portion of the bag opening (2) is squeezed when thefirst top notch (313) and the second top notch (314), and the firstbottom notch (323) and the second bottom notch (324) move toward eachother so that the bag opening (2) between the first board set (31) andthe second board set (32) is narrowed to be an elongate portion (7). 4.The bag clamping and sealing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein thefirst top board (311) is located higher than the second top board (312),the first bottom board (321) is located lower than the second bottomboard (322), so that the first top board (311) is overlapped above thesecond top board (312) when the first top board (311) and the second topboard (312) move toward each other, the first bottom board (321) isoverlapped below the second bottom board (322) when the first bottomboard (321) and the second bottom board (322) move toward each other,the second top notch (314) is overlapped to the first bottom notch (323)along a vertical Z-axis (Dz).
 5. A bag clamping and sealing machinecomprising: a first top bar (21) and a second top bar (22), the firsttop bar (21) and the second top bar (22) being movable toward each otheror away from each other along a horizontal X-axis (Dx), when the firsttop bar (21) and the second top bar (22) move toward each other, anupper portion of a bag opening (2) of a bag (1) is clamped; a firstbottom bar (25) and a second bottom bar (26), the first bottom bar (25)and the second bottom bar (26) being movable toward each other or awayfrom each other along a horizontal X-axis (Dx), when the first bottombar (25) and the second bottom bar (26) move toward each other, a lowerportion of the bag opening (2) of the bag (1) is clamped, a flattenedportion (8) is formed between the upper portion and the lower portion ofthe bag opening (2) of the bag (1); a first top board (311) and a secondtop board (312), the first top board (311) and the second top board(312) being movable toward each other or away from each other along ahorizontal axis (Dy), the horizontal X-axis (Dx) being perpendicular tothe horizontal Y-axis (Dy) on a common horizontal plane; a first bottomboard (321) and a second bottom board (322), the first bottom board(321) and the second bottom board (322) being movable toward each otheror away from each other along a horizontal Y-axis (Dy), and when thefirst top board (311) and the second top board (312), and the firstbottom board (321) and the second bottom board (322) move toward eachother, the flattened portion (8) is narrowed to be an elongate portion(7).